The Katana is a Japanese sword which was in use from around 987 ad until the end of WW2.

The name Katana originally meant any single edged sword, but was later adopted to mean specifically the curved long sword or nihonto.

The Katana used by the Samurai was usually with a short sword, a Wakizashi or Shoto. The wakizashi were used as backup weapons and as tools to decapitate defeated enemies, and sometimes to commit ritual suicide.